[Robert Swartz]

To get participation in Stock or any class, you either need to make it appealing by either low costs or a venue that breeds excitement. Stock in it's current form does neither for todays youth as a general rule.

So, you either need more classes, which the NHRA purists say no, we already have too many as it is. Or, you need to kill the costs, remodel the class on the original stock of the 70's. I believe IHRA does have it right, just like the old days of the AHRA, they have a variety of classes that give you a lot of options. On the other hand, they aren't filling the lanes with new racers either.

I can rant about this because, it's really funny. I hear people talk about how terrible it would be for NHRA to allow crate motors. Those same people are running high end aftermarket blocks, aftermarket carbuerators, some are even running aftermarket heads of different variations. Then have the gall to tell us how crate motors tarnish the purity of the class. My point, the crate classes and pure stock are a less expensive way to get involved with the eliminator.

Maybe a "claimer" class would be an idea. The oval tracks do something on this order and it seems to be a successfull concept. Enough of my rambling.